Heading to the Meadow
by WriterFreak101
Summary: Challenge 2: Song. An account of Rue's final moments in the arena. A look into the girl who set the kindling for the Girl On Fire. The girl who was Prim incarnate. What was this girl thinking during the moments when she was facing her death? And to attempt to provide an answer to a question that still remains elusive. Why did Rue ask Katniss, of all things, to sing to her?


**AN: Here we go. This is challenge #2. It's based on the concept of song. This story is mostly bookverse, but you can probably pull some images from the movie too. **

**Not sure when I'll be able to work on _More Than Just Pieces_. I'm going to try, but life has really got hectic over here. So we'll see what happens. **

"**Follow the Drinking Gourd" is actually not a song I wrote. It was an actual African American spiritual that was sung during the times of slavery here in America and the Underground Railroad was in place. Slave families sang the spiritual during their times of worship. While it gave the appearance of just being another song to the slave owners, it held a secret meaning. Follow the Drinking Gourd, or also the Big Dipper, when you traveled the Railroad. Follow the Gourd, and you will find your way to the North, where everyone was said to be free. I figured like District Twelve, Eleven would have its own folk songs to sing that was passed from many years ago. Even more because music plays such a major part of the District Eleven culture. **

**I do not own The Hunger Games or the characters. I don't own the song "Deep In the Meadow." They belong to Suzanne Collins. Don't sue.**

Heading To the Meadow

I can feel the life fading from me. From the wound that the spear left behind, I can feel my blood pouring. It's warm and sticky. My hand goes to where the wound is, and I am afraid to take it away. I do not want to see the blood on my hands. I know that it's too late. The blood patch that stains my shirt is too big.

Katniss leans over me. She is sniffling, and I know that it's true. It is too late. The wound is too grave. Already I can feel myself getting weak. I feel my mouth going dry, and I have to swallow several times. Before I can stop myself, I can feel tears starting to build up in my eyes. My breaths are not as strong as they were.

Despite my weakness, I look into Katniss's eyes. I can see she is fighting to keep her own tears in. She's doing a much better job than I am. If she can do that even now as she is watching her ally die, I know she can get far in these Games. Out of anyone in here, I want her to win. Thresh was my District partner, and I know that it would benefit my family and my District more if he won. But it's not Thresh who's here with me in my last moments. I don't blame him necessarily. In fact I'm grateful that he and I chose not to ally to him. It's given me a chance to get to know Katniss. I know that I reminded her of her sister. Perhaps that's the only source of real connection that we had. But that doesn't bother me. I like being seen as a little sister to somebody. It doesn't even matter if she's a different color than I am. I'm the oldest of six in my family. I always looked out for them and they looked up to me. Having someone to look up to, no matter how different from me in color they were, was nice. I pray that her sister (Primrose is her name right?) knows how blessed she is to have a sister like her.

My mind flashes back to memories of my family. My father and I working together in the orchards. My mother singing in the kitchen as she attempted preparing meals for all of our hungry mouths. My sisters and brothers laughing and playing together. I can see them climbing trees and picking fruit. I can seem them running and laughing. Will they be able to laugh and play as they once did when they realize I'm no longer going to be with them. At least, for a while anyway? Will my mother and father be able to survive without me? What about the mockingjays, my special friends? Will they miss me? Remember me? Or will I be forgotten?

I'm pulled from these questions as I feel Katniss's hands gently brush mine. I grip her one hand as tight as I can, because there's a part of me that wants to cling on to here. To this rock that we call Earth. My grip is faltering. With every breath I take, I know I'm getting closer to undertaking the Journey. She grips my hand tightly, clutching it like a lifeline. I let her. I'm the one who's dying, but I guess I'm the lucky one. At least my suffering will be finished. Hers will not be leaving any time soon. She'll carry on though. She must, she has to. In her eyes I can see she understands how cruel this situation is.

She has to win. If she does, maybe one day, she'll be able to change things. Make the Capitol and everyone Panem see the suffering they inflict on us. She's done well so far, even when the odds were not in her favor. He must be with her. Guiding her with the strength of His hand. I don't know if she realizes it or not. From what I know about her, I don't even think she believes in anything beyond what this world has to offer. I won't bring it up though. She'll find out on her own.

My voice is starting to feel like a frog crawled into it. I capture her eyes in mine. I start to sniffle despite my attempts not to. "Did you blow up the food?" I ask her. I need to know if she did. I can not leave without knowing this. For some reason, I don't want my life to be wasted. It seems silly, because what does it matter? I'm going to be dead. Whatever the reason, it matters.

I am relieved when she nods her head. "Every last bit of it," she manages to croak out.

Of course she blew up the food. She's clever. Katniss can do amazing things. I wish I was there to see that food get blown sky-high. I wish there was more time so that she could tell me how she did it. I bet it would have been a great story. Instead though, I press on. My voice is getting hoarser. "Good."

That's when I tell her what I desperately need to tell her. "You have to win." There is no denying it. She has to. She has to do this not only for me, but for my family, for her family, and for all Panem.

She nods her head. "Going to," she promises. "Going to for both of us."

The cannon fires, and her eyes shift so she's looking ahead. From where I am propped on her knee, I manage to see what she's looking at. The body of the boy from District One. He lies limp and lifeless on the ground. His eyes are open and cold in death. His mouth agape. The blood has since stopped flowing from the hole in his neck where Katniss's arrow entered. The arrow itself lays in the grass, the tip coated in blood, which is a deep red color. When I look at him, I feel no surging desire for revenge. I don't hate him. He did what any one of us probably would have done if we were in his position. It's the Capitol who has done this to us. They're the ones who make it so we have to do this to one another.

'His wrath will one day fall upon us. He will hear the cries of the people and rush forward with sword in hand. To rain fire and judgment on the wicked, and to cut the bonds of the people who they have subjugated for so long.' That's what my mother and father used to tell me. That's what some people in District Eleven say. To continue giving hope to us. To give us the strength to keep going no matter how dark things ever got. Up until now, I wasn't sure if I believed it. When I look in her eyes though, I see now they were right. He truly has heard our prayers, and here's the answer before my eyes.

The tears slip from my eyes. I can't help it. There's many mixed feelings. I'm sad that I won't be able to see what's about to come. I am angry with the Capitol. Yet I'm joyful to see her. She doesn't know it, but she is going to do great things.

My time is getting closer. Soon, I'll be passing on to join Him in the Beyond. The place where they say every person who goes there is free. Back in my District, there's this old song that we sing to the ones who are about to pass on. It's a really old song, invented even before Panem came along. They said that a long time ago, they always used to keep people of my color in bondage. Similar to how the Capitol has done to all of us. They sang the song during their nights of worship. So if their masters heard, they would think it was just a spiritual. Really, the song revealed the way to reach a place back then where everyone could be free. The song is called "Follow the Drinking Gourd." My mother said that the meaning of the song basically meant you had to follow a constellation in the sky, and never look back. Keep looking in that direction and you'll eventually find your way to freedom. Today, it's a song we sing to the dying. To remind them that in order to find their way to that place where people are free, they have to follow it.

I know that Katniss implied that music wasn't an important part of her life. And I knew that if she did sing, it wouldn't be "Follow the Drinking Gourd." Still, I didn't want to depart this world without hearing a song. I prayed that she would be willing to sing to me. "Can you sing?" I ask-no plead-to her.

For a moment she pauses. I'm afraid that she didn't hear. Or that she's not going to. By now, I'm too weak to say anything. My voice is literally gone. I can feel the rest of me giving way. With my eyes I look at her pleadingly. By now, death doesn't seem like such a horrible thing. The pain will be gone. I can finally taste freedom. The song can be a sort of token for me when I go there though. Or as a way of saying goodbye. Whichever works.

And I know that this will be my last wish.

Katniss sniffles. She coughs into her hand and clears her throat.

And that's when she begins to sing the song. Her voice is soft, gentle, and pretty. And the place she is singing about sounds just as beautiful.

_Deep in the meadow, under the willow_

_A bed of grass, a soft green pillow _

_Lay down your head, and close your sleepy eyes_

_And when again they open, the sun will rise._

_Here it's safe, here it's warm_

_Here the daisies guard you from every harm_

_Here your dreams are sweet and tomorrow brings_

_ them true. _

_Here is the place where I love you. _

My breath has become shallower. My chest heaves only slightly. Katniss chokes and lets tears fall from her face. I can feel them splashing on my cheeks, merging with my own as they roll down together. She chooses to continue singing. She is devoted to finishing this song for me. It makes me want to cry even more.

As I am on the verge of death, this meadow that Katniss sings of becomes a prominent image in my mind. I can actually picture it being what the the Beyond looks like. A place full of green and life. Where there no more goodbyes and there is no more sorrow. Where everyone can rest their head and sleep peacefully. Before, death seemed like a scary and dark idea. But if this is what awaits me, I don't think I mind. In fact, it sounds wonderful.

_Deep in the meadow, hidden far away_

_A cloak of leaves, a moonbeam ray_

_Forget your woes and let your troubles lay_

_And when again it's morning, they'll wash away._

_Here it's safe, here it's warm _

_Here the daisies guard you from every harm_

I can only just hear the final lines of the song.

_Here your dreams are sweet and tomorrow brings_

_ them true. _

_This is the place where I love you. _

For a moment there's silence. And then, something amazing happens. For a moment I can hardly believe it. But it is.

The mockingjays are picking up Katniss's song. Their tweets and whistles match the harmony perfectly. Filling the air with beauty and wonder.

The mockingjays taking up the song sets me at peace. More of Katniss's tears splash onto my cheeks. I can feel myself drawing in my last breath, a whiteness coming over me. My vision fades as the whiteness takes over. The amazing sound of the birds became distant. And I knew that when I let this breath out, it would be my last.

I didn't hold it in though. When it was time for that breath to come out, I let it. I could feel the whiteness take over my vision, and all sound die. However there was no fear in my heart.

After all, I was heading to the Meadow.


End file.
